Spied! Scion FR-S Test Mule Goes For a Drive in Germany

While we got a good look at the Scion FR-S concept — the car formerly known as the Toyota FT-86 — at this year's New York Auto Show, we wondered how many of the concept's features would make the jump to the production version. We may have our answer now, as our spy photographer recently captured an FR-S test mule near Germany's Nürburgring.

Although completely covered in camouflage, a keen eye will immediately recognize those lines as belonging to the FR-S. When compared to the concept, this test mule rides higher and wears higher-profile tires — traits that you'll likely see on the production version as well. In the front, the vents in the front valance that were left empty on the concept version are now filled with fog lamps. The camo does its job well, helping to blur the finer details of the front end. Just based on these photos, it looks like a few of the more elaborate contours of the concept didn't transfer faithfully to this test mule.

At the rear, a few more changes from the concept are apparent. The rear diffuser and other aero bits found on the concept look to be either significantly downsized or nonexistent on this car. While it might just be the camo messing with our eyes, the taillights appear different from what we saw on the concept, looking fatter in some parts and generally less sleek. While it's conceivable that some of the concept's lines were too difficult or costly to replicate on a mass production scale, we'll have to wait until the production version is fully unveiled to see exactly what changes have been made.

Although some of the concept's features seem to have been lost in translation on this test mule, seeing the FR-S out testing is an encouraging sign. After seeing three versions of the concept and hearing endless speculation on drivetrains and performance figures, getting a glimpse of something even remotely close to production form is a nice change of pace.